Doctors, trainers, physical therapists and professional athletes frequently recommend that their patients and athletes ice injuries or strained and fatigued body parts immediately after injury and/or strenuous activity for at least fifteen minutes, but no longer than thirty minutes, over a period of forty-eight hours. Cold is known to relieve pain and inflammation by its direct effects on circulation and metabolism. A reduction in temperature to any injured body part, whether minor or acute, causes blood vessels and blood cells in the area of trauma to shrink in size, thus slowing the flow and rush of fluids into areas of irritated tissue. This decrease in swelling and inflammation in turn reduces pain.
Magnetic field therapy is known to stimulate the circulation of blood, improve the oxygen consumption of blood cells, and reduce inflammation and fluid retention. These attributes are believed to promote healing and to reduce pain in those areas of the body where the magnetic field therapy is applied.
Heretofore, an apparatus has not been provided that combines both magnetic and cold therapy for simultaneous application to an injury. Thus, this combination of cold therapy and biomagnetic therapy combined in one universal size apparatus allows the typical icing period to be extended to more than double the recommended icing time, while simultaneously achieving the benefits of increased cellular movement, oxygenation of blood cells and circulation through magnetics. Accordingly, this combination of both ice therapy and magnetic therapy provides a more dramatic and rapid response than with either form of therapy used separately and it would be advantageous to have such an apparatus and associated method to treat various ailments.